Roadside bomb blasts' effects on brain still a mystery

12:14 PM,
Feb. 13, 2014

Afghan villagers stand near a destroyed vehicle after a roadside explosion near Jalalabad, Afghanistan last Nov. 28. Scientists say the long-term effects on the brain of exposure to such blasts largely remain a mystery after years of war and research.

Written by

Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

Too little is known about how or whether bomb blasts cause long-term damage to the human brain and body, according to a scientific panel focusing on wounds caused by roadside bombs, the most common enemy weapon used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While the long-term effects of certain blast-related wounds are obvious - such as amputated arms or legs - what isn't understood are the chronic risks of unseen damage from the blast wave, the Institute of Medicine panel concludes in its report issued Thursday.

The question is crucial because of potentially tens of thousands of American troops caught near ...